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Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Eggplants
Planting
Where to Plant Egglant
For the best results, plant eggplant in a location that gets full sun鈥攁t least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight per day.
Eggplants grow best in a well-drained sandy loam or loam soil that is fairly high in organic matter. To improve soil fertility, mix 1 inch of well-rotted manure, compost, or a general fertilizer such as 5-10-5 throughout the planting bed about a week before planting. (Apply 2 to 3 pounds per 100 square feet. Or, apply 1录 pounds of 5-10-5 per 10 feet of row when the row spacing is 4 feet.) Soil pH should be between 5.8 and 6.5 for best growth.
Growing Eggplant in Containers
If you鈥檙e growing eggplant in pots, use a dark-colored container that will absorb more sunlight. Put one plant per 5-gallon (or larger) pot in full sun and outdoors so it can be pollinated. Use a premium potting mix to avoid disease. Raised beds, which warm more quickly than ground soil, are also ideal for growing eggplant.
When to Plant Eggplant
- Start seeds indoors in flats or peat pots 6 to 8 weeks prior to the last spring frost date. Seeds germinate quickly at temperatures between 70掳 to 90掳F (21掳 to 32掳C). Alternatively, buy 6- to 8-week-old nursery transplants just before planting.
- Do not plant eggplant transplants into the garden until well after the last threat of frost.
- If purchasing transplants: Buy high-quality specimens. Do not purchase tall, spindly plants or young plants that already have blossoms (ideally, young plants should spend energy becoming established before they begin flowering).
How to Plant Eggplant
- Start seeds indoors, sowing them 录 of an inch deep in flats or peat pots.
- After the risk of the last spring frost has passed and daytime temperatures are 70掳 to 75掳F (60掳 to 65掳F at night), set seedlings in holes 24 to 30 inches apart in rows 3 feet apart. Use a covering of black plastic mulch to warm soils before setting out transplants if soil temperatures aren鈥檛 yet high enough.
- Immediately after planting (in-ground or pot), set 24-inch-high stakes 1 to 2 inches from each plant or use cages to provide support and avoid disturbing the soil or roots later. Eggplant will fall over when laden with fruit.
- After planting, water well. Add a layer of mulch to retain moisture and suppress weeds.
- If you live in a cold climate, consider using row covers to keep the young eggplants warm and sheltered. Open the ends of the row covers on warm days so that bees may pollinate the eggplants鈥 flowers.
Types
The standard eggplant produces egg-shaped, glossy, purple-black fruit.
- 鈥楤lack Beauty鈥 is the traditional eggplant size. One plant produces 4 to 6 large rounded fruit. Other regular types include 鈥楤lack Magic鈥, 鈥楶urple Rain鈥, and 鈥楨arly Bird鈥.
- 鈥楤lack Bell鈥: classic oval to round, 6-inch, purple/black fruit; disease-resistant
- 鈥楧耻蝉办测鈥: classic pear-shaped, 6- to 7-inch, glossy purple/black fruit; excellent flavor; disease-resistant
Other interesting eggplant varieties include:
- 鈥楢辫辫濒别驳谤别别苍鈥: oval, 5- to 6-inch, tender, pale green fruit
- 鈥楤补尘产颈苍辞鈥: oval, walnut-size, purple/black fruit; 1 1/2-foot-tall plants
- 鈥楥补蝉辫别谤鈥: cylindrical, 6-inch, snow-white fruit; mushroom flavor
- 鈥楥loud Nine鈥: teardrop-shaped, 7-inch, white fruit; disease-resistant
- 鈥楰别谤尘颈迟鈥: Thai type; round; 2-inch, green fruit with white-striped shoulder
- 鈥楻辞蝉颈迟补鈥: pear-shaped, 6- to 8-inch, rose-pink fruit; sweet flavor
The long, slender Japanese eggplant has a thinner skin and a more delicate flavor.
- 鈥业肠丑颈产补苍鈥: 10- to 12-inch, slim, purple/black fruit; bears until frost. Expect a dozen or more fruits from one plant.
- 鈥楲ittle Fingers鈥: finger-sized purple/black fruit; good for containers. Small-fruited varieties tend to be especially heavy bearers.
Ornamental varieties are edible but of poor eating quality.
- 鈥楨aster Egg鈥 is an ornamental eggplant, usually white in color. (Not edible.)
Harvesting
- Harvest eggplant 65 to 80 days after transplanting, depending on the variety. When starting from seed, expect 100 to 120 days to maturity. July, August, and September (even into October) are all harvest months for eggplant, depending on where you live and the variety you planted.
- Eggplant tastes best when harvested young as soon as it鈥檚 dark and glossy purple. Fruits are ripe when their skin doesn鈥檛 rebound to gentle pressure from your finger. If you cut into an eggplant and find an abundance of brown seeds, it鈥檚 already too late.
- Harvest early and often, and the plant will be quite prolific. Once ready, check on your eggplants every 2 to 3 days.
- Japanese eggplant may be ready to harvest when the size of a finger or hot dog.
- When harvesting, do not pull the fruit (it won鈥檛 come off). With a sharp knife, cut through the tough stem above the green cap, or calyx, on the top. The calyx can be prickly, so want to wear gloves.
- You can cut these plants back like peppers if your season is long enough for a second crop.
How to Store Eggplant
- Eggplants can be stored for up to 2 weeks in humid conditions no lower than 50掳F (10掳C).
- In the refrigerator, they will keep for several days.
- Do not wash or cut in advance to avoid damaging the skin, which will quickly perish if exposed.
- To avoid discoloring of eggplant after cutting open for cooking or grilling, use a marinade with salt, vinegar, and/or lemon juice.
Cooking Notes
- Eggplant is excellent grilled, roasted, breaded, fried, or baked! The thinner varieties (鈥業chiban鈥) are more ideal for grilling and roasting and the traditional varieties (Black Beauty) are great breaded or fried; the round fruit is also good as a 鈥渂oat鈥 for stuffing.
- Use a stainless steel knife (not steel) to cut eggplant or it will discolor.
- If your eggplant is oversize, the skin may be too tough to eat. Peel before cooking or bake the eggplant and then scoop out the flesh. If you’re baking eggplant, first pierce the skin a few times to allow steam to escape.
- Many Italians will tenderize an eggplant so it’s less bitter. Slice them and sprinkle with salt at least one hour before use.
Catherine Boeckmann
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It depends if you’re growing eggplant in flats to transplant or if you’re growing eggplant in a big pots. It sounds like the latter. For pots or containers, you don’t really use 鈥渟oil.鈥 It’s best to use a potting mix of 50% peat and 50% perlite. Grow one plant in a 5-pound container with a minimum 鈥渟oil鈥 depth of 12 to 16 inches. Give the plants a liquid plant food (any general vegetable plant food) every two weeks. See watering information and more plant care tips above.
Hi,
I had shown the seeds of a black Beauty eggplant on 10th April 2017, the seedlings have nowsprouted.When can I transplant them into the ground.I live in Philadelphia.
Thanks.
You want to wait until the soil is warm (in the 60s掳F), and all danger or frost has passed. You can get a rough estimate of your last frost date here : http://www.almanac.com/tool/frost-dates-calculator . Keep an eye on local weather forecasts, too. If you put the seedlings in cold ground they’ll die. See above: You want these to be 3 to 4 inches tall, too.
I planted eggplants in spring of 2016. they produced good all summer and into fall growing season[Florida mid-section]. they look healthy and have blossoms. Question am I going to get smaller fruit or should I pull them out and start new ones. Its march beginning of spring planting
Hi, Neal.Eggplants are in fact perennials usually grown as annuals. Some gardeners prune them in fall (too late now), but some people have great success for several years! Congratulations on such good care!
what is the yield per acre for eggplant kgs or tonnes
Can I grow eggplant by cutting the top of a bulb and planting?
If this is possible, it’s a new one on us, Charles. Call us eggheads, but we are not familiar with the idea or the experience.
Hi,
I live in Arnold, Maryland. We were able to get 4 healthy eggplants from our plant. There are now, 3 to 4 new eggplants growin on the plant, they are very small right now. My question, it is now the middle of October, frost is coming soon, can we dig the plant up and transplant it into a large pot, bring it inside and set it by a widow, which receives 6+ hours of sun. Thank you for your advice.
Ray
Yes, you can try bringing the plant indoors; some gardeners have had success extending the season that way, although eggplants can be fussy. Soak the plant one or two hours before digging it up. Provide as big a root ball as you can, and use a large pot (with drainage holes), about 10- to 14-inch wide or so. Bring the plant inside, in a well-lit area away from heat and drafts. Some sources say the plant will need ideally 12 to 14 hours of light. In this case, you might want to set up supplemental grow lights. Do not water for the first few days; afterward, keep the soil damp but not soggy. Keep the plant in a warm area; mist if the air is dry. Routinely check for pests and diseases. When flowers open, gently brush or tap them every day, to encourage pollination (eggplants are usually wind pollinated). The fruit may not be as large as when grown outdoors, but they should still be tasty! Good luck!
